Darkstorm

Darkstorm is the working title for a high fantasy MMORPG world building project currently being crafted by author Tom Brown. Work on the setting, and story, first began in 2009, and has proceeded gradually ever since. The entire project is dedicated to the memory of Tom's mother, Phyllis Brown, who passed away on 9 October 2020.

=Ilunar=

Overview
Darkstorm is a massively multiplayer online roleplaying game set in the high fantasy world of Achirion.

Backstory
The most powerful person in the world - the High Queen of Achirion - has been stricken with a mysterious illness no healer or priest seems able to curb. With her incapacitated, the realm is without its strong central figure. Senior officials are doing what they can to hold things together, but the absence of the formidable monarch has been recognised by numerous unscrupulous people and groups for what it is - a situation to be taken advantage of.

A long-suppressed separatist movement in the west has once again begun rattling its sabers. Rogue arcanists have begun to actively study and practise the dark arts in open defiance of long-established strictures. A shadowy cult that worships a circle of sinister deities known only as the Silent Ones is weaving its malign influence among powerful political and social circles. And, to further complicate matters, the heir apparent, Hillan the Prince Royal, remains distracted with ongoing efforts to put down a violent dispute between the orcs and dwarves in the north.

It is said the man with the most unenviable job in the entire Dominion right now is Lord Lenseph Demose, the long-serving secretary of state. Without his sovereign's guidance, he has been forced to continue attending to the business of state as best he can, following past precedent and using his own cunning and political acumen to maintain the centre of power. His strong hand has managed to maintain the balance in spite of persistent rumors of corruption and increasingly opportunistic power plays among lesser officials which threaten the stability of the government. While widely respected, some fear Demose is a man with a target on his back, and loyalist officials have closed ranks to protect him.

Seeking help in areas where the full power of the state cannot be brought to bear, Lord Demose has issued a call for willing citizens to assist in addressing some of these myriad fires burning across Achirion. In these uncertain times, many opportunities exist for enterprising adventurers to be handsomely paid while making a name for themselves. The Dominion continues to hold, but some fear that without decisive action, such may not be the case for much longer.

This is where you come in. What role will you play? How will the peoples of the realm remember your name?

The Dominion
For just over a millennium, the Dominion has been the preeminent power of the world. Its boundaries encompass approximately 72% of all territory and 81% of the population. For better or for worse, the history of the Dominion has been the history of the Common Era, and every facet of its rule has become inextricably linked with the land, the people, and the communities it governs.

At its pinnacle, the nation is led by its high queen or high king. While their rule is absolute, they are advised by a privy council that handles routine administration and is involved in matters of diplomacy, defense, economics, law and justice, royal security, and public welfare. The council deals with national and individual interest matters, issues proclamations in the monarch's name, and supervises the courts and law enforcement. While the council can make decisions, the monarch can veto them without question.

The principal officer of the nation is the secretary of state, who serves as the monarch's most senior advisor and de facto head of government. They are responsible for coordinating the daily business of the bureaucratic apparatus and working with the other senior officials. Administration of state affairs is divided between several important bodies. These include -


 * The Foreign Office, led by the foreign secretary, which advises the monarch and privy council on foreign policy and whose ambassadors represent the Dominion to the other governments of Achirion.
 * The War Office, led jointly by the marshal of the army and grand admiral, which is responsible for administration of the Royal Army and Royal Navy.
 * The Tax Office, led by the controller-general, levies and collects taxes, excise and tariffs.
 * The Imprest Office, led by the treasurer-general, which maintains the books and accounts of the Dominion and determines where and how money is spent, and also audits said spending.
 * The Public Records Office, led by the chief archivist, which maintains the records and archives of the government in a central depository and allows public access to documents for research and scholarly purposes.
 * The Supply Office, led by the surveyor-general, is responsible for production and supply of government equipment, land survey, and the system of post stations and mail delivery.
 * The Works Office, led by the master engineer, is responsible for weights and measures, maintenance of the highways, bridges and canals, flood control works, and other important national infrastructure.

At present, the key figures in the Dominion government are -


 * Yaela I, High Queen of Achirion
 * Hillan, Prince of Beverstone (Josh Dallas)
 * Rhodan, Prince of Waydon (Tom Hopper)
 * Kethris Halded, Lord Steward (TBD)
 * Polbier Levri, Lord Chamberlain (TBD)
 * Lenseph Demose, Secretary of State (Charles Dance)
 * TBD, Foreign Secretary (TBD)
 * TBD, Marshal of the Army (TBD)
 * TBD, Grand Admiral (TBD)
 * TBD, Controller-General (TBD)
 * TBD, Treasurer-General (TBD)
 * TBD, Chief Archivist (TBD)
 * TBD, Surveyor-General (TBD)
 * TBD, Master Engineer (TBD)
 * High Justiciar (TBD)
 * Grand Admiral (TBD)
 * Marshal of the Army (TBD)

Regional
The Dominion as a whole is divided into 31 provinces, each overseen by an Royal representative known as a TBD, appointed by the monarch and answering to them via the secretary of state. Regional government within the Dominion is divided between TBD.

Municipal
TBD

Military
Ground, sea and elite forces.

Economics and trade
Currency, commodities, imports and exports.

Geography and climate
Terrain and weather patterns.

Climate
Ilunar has a climate characterised by mild winters and cool summers. The most extreme temperatures are found in the far north and far south, which are the coldest and warmest regions of the continent, respectively. The majority of the continent has around of 179 days of precipitation annually, on average receiving a total of 30 inches of rain per year. Spring is the driest season and autumn is the wettest.

Flora and fauna
Animals and plants. Common, uncommon and rare species.

Guilds and other organizations
Commerce and craft guilds, learned societies, etc.

Knights of the Scarlet Banner
An elite chivalric order established by the first king over 1,000 years ago during the Second Age. Only the monarch can appoint a person to its ranks, and membership within the order is considered one of the highest honors any Ilunaran can achieve. Membership in the order is limited to 200 persons. Several of the Dominion's top military officers are members of the order, as many of its most legendary historical figures have likewise been members. The monarch is official head of the order, but its day-to-day business is overseen by a knight known as the Prior General.

The order has only one rank - Knight Companion.

Incantrium
The arcane order of the continent, operating under a royal charter that has been in place since the earliest years of the Dominion. It has four primary responsibilities - to identify and train young arcanists, to seek and acquire magical items and texts for study and preservation, to identify and neutralize arcanists who violate the law so that they may face justice, and to offer a wide range of arcane services to the Dominion and its people. It is led by a senior arcanist known as the High Magister (or High Magistra, if female). Its headquarters is Capvering Hold, located in the Military District of Highspire, the capital city of the Dominion. The current leader of the Order is the High Magistra Violette Humilio, who has served in this capacity for the last 24 years. She is widely regarded as the single most powerful arcanist on the continent.

The order has four ranks (from lowest to highest) - Apprentice, Journeyman, Adept, and Master. Arcanists of the ranks of adept and master can be addressed by the honorific of "Magister". The leader of the Order is known as the High Magister, or High Magistra if female. Only master arcanists can sit on the order's governing Arcane Council.

Culture
Social hierarchy, cuisine, clothing, architecture.

Religion
There are, at present, fifteen gods worshipped throughout the Dominion. Collectively, the gods are known as the Circle Celestial. The Circle consists of the following deities -


 * TBD, goddess of agriculture
 * TBD, god of good fortune
 * TBD, goddess of hearth and family
 * TBD, god of the dead
 * TBD, goddess of revelry
 * TBD, god of the hunt
 * TBD, goddess of poetry and the arts
 * TBD, god of magic and time
 * TBD, god of knowledge
 * TBD, goddess of fate and prophecy
 * TBD, goddess of love and beauty
 * TBD, goddess of healing and mercy
 * TBD, god of war
 * TBD, god of justice
 * TBD, god of craft and commerce

Source
In each of the Five Realms, magic comes from a distinctive source. The wellspring of arcane energies in Ilunar is known as the Font of Conjunction. From it, magical energy suffuses the land and enriches it with power, creating a pervasive, interconnected web of arcane energy known as the Ambience. Unfortunately for most, only a select few have the ability to harness and utilize this energy. Arcanists are born; they cannot be made, and it is estimated that only one in every 1,000 people is born with “the Gift” as this ability is known. There are no definitive formulae to explain how a Gifted child is chosen. Two mundane parents can have a Gifted child, or two Gifted parents can have a dozen mundane children. It is commonly believed that the decision of who is Gifted and who is not is made by Yion, the god of magic and knowledge, according to his own counsel.

Unknown to all but the members of the Incantrium itself, as well as a few within the government, the Font is located in a cavern system deep beneath Capvering Hold itself. The location is heavily secured and only a few know how to access it.

Unbinding
For those born with the Gift, in their fourth or fifth year they experience an event known as the Unbinding. This event refers to the point at which the youth’s own arcane resonance becomes fully connected to the Ambience itself, resulting in a burst of considerable magical power. It is typically triggered when a child encounters a potent arcane energy source but can also result from exposure to an event inducing great stress or trauma. The event manifests itself in many different ways, such objects around the person may suddenly begin to float, or the item they’re holding will inexplicably burst into flames. This event gives off a significant amount of energy, which will be detected by other arcanists. At this point, two representatives of the Incantrium will be dispatched to find and meet this child and their parents. They will explain what has happened, provide any necessary assistance with correcting any damage that has occurred as a result of the Unbinding, and will then make arrangements to take the child for training.

Training
It is required by law that all Gifted children be taught how to properly use their magical powers, for their own welfare as much as that of the civilian populace. The child will be brought to the nearest Incantrium chapter house, where they will “take the novitiate”, as the ten-year regime of arcane education is known. During this time, a magister will be assigned as the apprentice's instructor, responsible for ensuring they receive all the training they will need. They will then enter a small group of anywhere from three to ten other apprentices. The education the Incantrium provides is rigorous and demanding, but it ensures each apprentice is prepared to address concerns both magical and mundane. Aside from their training with magic, they are also taught writing, reading, arithmetic, botany, geology, and several other subjects. Once the ten-year period is complete, every apprentice arcanist a ritual known as the Trial of the First Seal or the Journey to the Horizon. In this, they drink a special chymical mixture that induces a realistic hallucination unique to the individual. Within this experience, the novice must face their innermost fears and overcome them, as “an arcanist who cannot defeat self-doubt and rise to the moment can never truly accomplish all they are meant to.” While in this hallucinatory state, apprentices are supervised by a magister and a healer. The trial has three possible outcomes. The first, and most common, is that the apprentice successfully completes the trial and is welcomed into the order as a journeyman arcanist in a celebratory ceremony. The second outcome, which is very rare, is that an apprentice fails their trial and suffers a mental break, which causes their connection to the Ambience being severed, which results in them losing the capacity to wield magic and becoming what is known as "Null". Those who experience this outcome will spend a mandatory period of time under the supervisor of healers before being returned home to their families. The third, and rarest outcome, is that an apprentice falls victim to the hallucination’s seeming reality and is driven incurably insane. The unfortunate few who fall victim to this outcome, known as "suffering the Delirium", are put away where they cannot harm themselves or others and cared for by highly specialized guardians.

Anti-Magic Sentiments
There are some who fear magic and those who wield it. Wild claims of unchecked natural disasters, crazed fanatics driven mad by careless research, and even invasions of otherworldly beings from a different plane are among the various dangers those fearful insist arcanists will one day call down on the magically talented and the mundane alike. None of these claims have yet come true, however, and that does not stop the accusations, but those who feel so strongly against magic and those who use it must be mindful not to violate laws against libel and slander.

Myths, legends and folklore
Things like the Black Fleet, Howling Well, etc.

Names
Castleside - Bankhearth - Caskilot - Highspire - Hollomith - Spellshore

Darvom - Odrit To - Emrel - Adril Tan - Gengrim Od - Loncror Ghur - Modren Zel